2023 Festival Schedule

• Environment/Nature
• Literary

Dave Eggers: The Eyes and the Impossible

Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris

Is there anything Dave Eggers can’t do? The multi-talented juggernaut’s latest project—a collaboration with artist Shawn Harris—is an illustrated novel for all ages. You’ll want to make it your next readaloud—no matter your age. All ages. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

Sponsored by Reading Group Choices.

• Writing & Publishing

The Art of Brevity: A Flash Fiction Writing Workshop

Kim Culbertson, Grant Faulkner

If you've dreamed of writing fiction but don't know where to start, may we make a suggestion? Start with a (very) short story! Pack your pencils and your creativity—we can't wait to see what you dream up! Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Folio Books, at the venue

• History & Biography
• Race

Seen and Unseen: New Glimpses of Japanese Incarceration

Elizabeth Partridge in conversation with Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Photographs are a way of documenting the world—but what if they only capture part of the story? Or what if the things they show aren't allowed to be shared? Through stories, artwork, and illustration, Elizabeth Partridge and her illustrator Lauren Tamaki raise important questions about who's allowed to tell what stories, and how; about the ways in which history is shaped and remembered; and about how those in power shape narratives to suit their own ends. Partridge will be in conversation with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, who tells yet another story of Japanese incarceration—this one about her grandparents' courtship in Minidoka. All ages. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Folio Books, at the venue

• Culture
• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

A Life in Books

Joan Frank, Dorothy Lazard, and Jane Smiley moderated by John Freeman

Each of us has a different, and beautiful, relationship with the books we read…and write. That is no less true if you’ve just published your first, as longtime librarian Dorothy Lazard has, than it is for Joan Frank, with a dozen publications and multiple fellowships under her belt. It’s also true, of course, for Pulitzer Prize winners like Jane Smiley. Each of these authors has had a decades-long love affair with books; in this session, they’ll tell you not only what they were reading, but how it affected them and their work. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

• Current Affairs
• Writing & Publishing

We Were Once a Family: Journalists Investigating Child Welfare

Roxanna Asgarian and Garrett Therolf, moderated by David Barstow

On March 26, 2018, an SUV carrying two married white women and their six adopted Black children was found at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff in Mendocino County. Officials quickly ruled the incident a murder-suicide, which was shocking enough—but over the weeks and months that followed, an even more sickening narrative emerged, one that indicted not only the Harts but also the foster care and adoption systems that so tragically failed these children. Roxanna Asgarian is joined by Garrett Therolf of the Investigative Reporting Program at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism to discuss, among other factors, the racial biases and corruption that placed these children, and countless others, in positions of profound peril. Their conversation will be moderated by David Barstow, the Reva and David Logan Distinguished Chair in Investigative Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Environment/Nature
• Literary
• Memoir
• Science

The Beauty and Urgency of Nature Writing

Erica Berry, Tom Comitta, and Talia Lakshmi Kolluri moderated by Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí

Readers of fiction (too) often gloss over descriptions of nature, but this session invites readers to really pay attention to nature writing, in all its marvelous variety. Set aside your human concerns for an hour and immerse yourself in the beautiful urgency of nature writing. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books Inc., at the venue

With the support of SACHI

• Literary

You’re a Fraud

Kirstin Chen, Brendan Slocumb, and Kyla Zhao, moderated by Cheryl Popp

This one's an ode to the grifters, the con artists, the scammers: the characters who would gleefully pull one over on you—and probably get away with it, too. Even if the characters they depict are complicated (to put it mildly), there's one thing we know for sure—these authors are the real deal. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Memoir
• Wellness, Psychology & Spirituality

One Long Listening: A Habit of Love, a Memoir of Offering Care

Chenxing Han, interviewed by Faith Adiele

We instantly fell in love with Chenxing Han’s "one long listening: a memoir of grief, friendship, and spiritual care." A hospital chaplain and caregiver in the making, Han journeys from a mountaintop monastery in Taiwan to oncology wards in San Francisco, from oceanside Ireland to riverfront Phnom Penh. The book's short chapters alternate among narrative, reflections, letters to a dying friend, memories of a migratory childhood, and wry twists and hilarious footnotes everywhere. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

• Literary
• Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Technology/Media

Fiction and Technology: What Hath AI Wrought?

Akil Kumarasamy, Josh Riedel, Allie Rowbottom, Nina Schuyler, and Colin Winnette, moderated by Noah Stern

The authors in this session aren't afraid to use their fiction to contend with the looming future of tech, but their new novels, like so much timeless fiction, are really about the pricelessness of human connection. This provocative discussion will equip attendees for a bold new future—or at least be prepared with a good book at the ready. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

With the support of SACHI

• Literary
• Memoir
• Writing & Publishing

The Art of Life: Writing Autobiography Across the Genres

Ingrid Rojas Contreras, K.M. Soehnlein, and Preeti Vangani, moderated by Dave Madden

If, like Whitman, we contain multitudes, the life of every writer should bear no shortage of material. But few of us are getting book deals from our Tweets and TikToks. Writing from real life seems to be the domain of memoirists and writers of autofiction, but how can writers from any genre make art from the everyday mess of reality? Where do you draw the boundaries between authentic and artificial, true and untrue? In this session, University of San Francisco faculty members—who’ve written novels, memoirs, and poetry books taking from their lived experiences—will discuss how to get beyond “Write what you know” to explore the richer terrain of writing from who you’ve been. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Sponsored by University of San Francisco MFA in Writing program

• Science

Awe: The Science of Everyday Wonder

Dacher Keltner, interviewed by Shawn Taylor

How do we begin to quantify the goose bumps we feel when we see the Grand Canyon, or the utter amazement when we watch a child walk for the first time? How do we give words the wonder we feel while gazing at centuries-old works of art? Dacher Keltner, one of the world’s foremost scientists of emotion and faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, presents his groundbreaking new book, "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life". Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

Sponsored by Reed Schmidt.

• Poetry

25 Years of The Berkeley Poetry Slam

Sam Sax, Jason Bayani, Nazelah Jamison, Douglas Mungin, Betsy Gomez, Ekabhumi Charles Ellik

The Berkeley Poetry Slam is 25 years old! Join us in celebrating this Bay Area staple, we promise not to make you sing Happy Birthday but you will see some of the very best and brightest poets to have repped Berkeley over the past two and a half decades. Poets from different eras of the show will share work and talk about what tBPS has meant to them others over the years. Hosted by the man who started the whole thing way back in ‘98.

• Current Affairs
• History & Biography

Adam Hochschild on American Midnight and Democracy’s Crises

Adam Hochschild, introduced by Monika Bauerlein

In "American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis", award-winning historian and journalist Adam Hochschild brings alive the horrifying yet inspiring four years following the U.S. entry into the First World War, spotlighting forgotten repression while celebrating an unforgettable set of Americans who strove to fix their fractured country—and showing how their struggles still guide us today. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Romance
• Science Fiction & Fantasy

Maurene Goo: Throwback

Maurene Goo, moderated by Cinnamongirl Serena and Anastasia Kim

What would you do if you traveled back in time to the 1990s…and met your mother when she was a teenager? Maurene Goo’s heartfelt exploration of family, identity, and love across the decades is the perfect choice for your next mother-daughter book club! Ages 14+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• International
• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

Dazzling Debuts

Jonathan Escoffery, Tsering Yangzom Lama, and Jens Liljestrand, moderated by Leslie Carol Roberts

Here's your chance to meet three astonishingly talented young authors, hailing from around the world, at the beginning of their careers—you'll be able to boast that you saw them when! In addition to learning about their new works, we'll hear about these debut authors' paths to publication and heed their advice to aspiring authors. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

Sponsored by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, with the support of the Consulate General of Canada San Francisco/Silicon Valley

• History & Biography
• Poetry

Poetry and the Archives of History

Anthony Cody and Paisley Rekdal, moderated by Tess Taylor

Many of us, when faced by stacks of dusty documents or faded photographs, might leave the work to the archivists—or consign the mess to the recycling bin of history. In this session, we'll hear from those who instead look at archives and envision poetry. Poet Paisley Rekdal vividly documents how the heroic narrative of the transcontinental railroad is intertwined with the history of Chinese exclusion. Anthony Cody centers on the ongoing legacy of trauma along the US–Mexico border after the end of the Mexican–American War. Their work collages photographs, maps, newspaper clippings, and other ephemera with their own thoroughly contemporary voices. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

• International
• Literary
• Native American
• Writing & Publishing

Craft Chats: A Child’s Perspective

Keenan Norris, Pilar Quintana, and Margaret Verble, moderated by Ethel Rohan

As Sadie Jones has written, "Writing is a leap of faith, and never more so than when writing childhood." It's undeniable that we were all once children, but that doesn’t mean it's child's play for writers to center the voice and perspective of a child or teen without veering into oversimplification or preciousness. In this craft-focused session, we'll engage with the works of three writers who excel at the task, first doing a close reading of specific passages and then learning more about how that youthful perspective informs the totality of the work. Whether you're a writer trying to capture a credible perspective and voice, or whether you're a reader eager to gain a deeper understanding of the writer's craft, this session is certain to expand your own perspective.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Culture
• Writing & Publishing

What Makes a Critic?

Yohanca Delgado, Jonathan Leal, Antonio López, Ricardo Jaramillo, Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon, moderated by Heather Partington

These days, when Goodreads reviews and social media takedowns outnumber dwindling book review publications and shrinking newspaper book pages, what role does professional criticism still play, and how can aspiring critics best prepare to engage in the literary discourse? The National Book Critics Circle's Emerging Critics Fellowship seeks to identify, nurture, and support the development of the next generation of book critics. In this session, recent Emerging Critics will reflect on their own development as critics and discuss what the next generation of book critics will bring to the table. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

In partnership with the National Book Critics Circle.

• History & Biography

Picturing Lives: Picture Book Biographies

Angela Dalton, Marni Fogelson, Susan B. Katz, and Emma Bland Smith, moderated by Amy Midanik-Blum

At a 2018 NYU symposium specifically devoted to the rise of children's picture book biographies, critic Leonard Marcus called the recent wave of new biographies "a vibrant publishing phenomenon," doing important work to address historical imbalances in representation—all while telling vital, surprising stories! In this session that's appropriate for parents, teachers, and young readers alike, we'll delve into this exciting world of picture book biographies, where early readers can learn about the lives of trailblazing artists and revolutionaries through a marriage of colors, shapes, and prose. All ages. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Folio Books, at the venue

• Romance

Romantic Roadblocks

Lily Chu, Claire Kann, Amy Spalding, and Taleen Voskuni, moderated by Jasmine Guillory

"The course of true love never did run smooth," and nowhere is that truer than in contemporary romantic comedies, where creative roadblocks make the journey to Happily Ever After endlessly entertaining, and the destination that much sweeter. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Science Fiction & Fantasy

Science Fiction: Space Exploration

Mary Robinette Kowal, Annalee Newitz, and Megan O'Keefe, moderated by Evette Davis

Get ready to take off for the far reaches of the galaxy via three very different, but equally fascinating, stories of space exploration written by superb storytellers. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• Culture
• History & Biography
• Race

Words and Pictures

Gabriela Hasbun, and Joshua Teal, hosted by Mark Murrmann

Immerse yourself in striking visual artworks and the stories behind them in this hour devoted to the art of the illustrated book, from arresting images of Black cowboys to contemporary artwork inspired by dance. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

Sponsored by HarperOne

• International
• Literary
• Race

Fiction: Across Cultures

Jamil Jan Kochai, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, and Susanne Pari, moderated by Lance Knobel

Stories transcend borders, build bridges across cultural divides, and foster empathy. Join Marie Myung-Ok Lee, Jamil Jan Kochai, and Susanne Pari to explore themes of identity, displacement, and the impact of historical events on individual lives. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

With the support of SACHI

• Comics & Graphics
• Literary
• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers
• Native American

Historical Fiction: The American West

Rina Ayuyang, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Jane Smiley, moderated by Blaise Zerega

The sweeping landscapes of the American West offer writers a broad canvas on which to set epic stories. Three masterful storytellers will transport us through the rich and complex history of California and Colorado as only the best fiction can. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books Inc., at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

Flash Fiction America

Patricia Quintana Bidar, K-Ming Chang, Arlene Eisenberg, Molly Giles, Nicole Simonsen, Kara Vernor, hosted by Kirstin Chen, Jane Ciabattari, and Grant Faulkner

There's an art to writing a (very) short story, one that includes a captivating opening, a dynamic middle, and a surprising ending—often using fewer words than we're including in this session description. We've brought several authors of flash fiction together for a big celebration of small stories. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• International
• Poetry

Pursuing the Impossible: Poetry and the Art of Translation

Forrest Gander and Olivia E. Sears, moderated by CJ Evans

Voltaire once claimed, "It is impossible to translate poetry. Can you translate music?" If that's true, these talented translators have certainly achieved the impossible—in this session, they'll share insights into how they did so. Olivia Sears and Forrest Gander will read from their translations and also engage in conversation—moderated by CJ Evans, poet and editorial director of Two Lines Press—about the unique (if not impossible) challenges and rewards that poetry grants the translator. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

Sponsored by Reed Schmidt, with the support of Center for the Art of Translation

• Horror
• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers
• Native American
• Race

Indigenous Perspectives in Genre Fiction

Jessica Johns, Nick Medina, Marcie R. Rendon, and Margaret Verble, moderated by Melissa Stoner

These Native American and First Nations authors have published exciting new works in the genres of mysteries, thrillers, psychological horror, and historical suspense. How do these writers incorporate historical and current crises—such as the disappearances of Native women or the atrocities of child separation—into their work? How do their novels re-appropriate racist stereotypes? And how does their fiction shape perceptions of contemporary Indigenous communities among Native and non-Native audiences alike? Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books Inc., at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Consulate General of Canada San Francisco/Silicon Valley

• Food
• History & Biography

Tasting History: A Delicious Journey Through the Past

Max Miller, interviewed by Brian Watt

If you've ever read Dickens and asked yourself, "What is gruel, anyway?" or wondered what would have been served at Macbeth's infamous feast, this session is for you. Perhaps, if you're among Max Miller's 1.65 million YouTube followers on his channel Tasting History, you already know the answers to these questions—now Miller has compiled his ceaseless culinary curiosity into a beautifully illustrated new volume for the rest of us. Satiate your appetite for historical oddities in this lively session! Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• Horror

YA: Haunts and Horrors

Sara Farizan and Andrea L. Rogers, moderated by Cinnamongirl Bella and Cinnamongirl Mariah

If screams of fear and lurking monsters are right up your (dark and spooky) alley, you’re in luck—this YA session is all about the heebie-jeebies and goosebumps! With plenty of bone-chilling fun to go around, you won’t want to miss this haunted hour! Ages 12+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Culture
• Environment/Nature
• Memoir

True Stories: Northern California

Andrew Alden, Clare Frank, hosted by John King

Northern California is home to countless compelling stories—in this session, authors of nonfiction books—on geology and wildfires—each get twelve minutes to share one with you. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Science Fiction & Fantasy
• Technology/Media

Cory Doctorow: Red Team Blues

Cory Doctorow, interviewed by Glynn Washington

In cyber-security, the red team plays attack; the blue team plays defense. Martin Hench, the protagonist of Cory Doctorow’s latest too close to home for comfort thriller, "Red Team Blues", was born to play attack. Doctorow’s novels are always feasts for the imagination, and this one is no different. It's jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas, twists and turns, and characters you won’t be able to not care about. In conversation with Doctorow will be Glynn Washington, creator and host of NPR’s Snap Judgment. This session promises to be extremely informative and a lot of fun! Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

• History & Biography
• International
• Literary

Hidden Histories

Dorothee Elmiger and Jori Lewis, moderated by Ariana Proehl

After attending this session, you'll never again view your lunchtime PB&J or that spoonful of sugar in your morning coffee in quite the same way. Jori Lewis traces both natural and human history as she reveals the long and tortured story of the peanut's entanglement with human bondage. Swiss author Dorothee Elmiger's protagonist (also named Dorothee Elmiger) is an archivist, an obsessive collector of objects related to the violent history of the global sugar trade, which unfolds through a kaleidoscopic narrative that's as intellectually engaged as it is self-reflexive. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

With the support of the Center for the Art of Translation

• Literary
• Memoir
• Poetry
• Writing & Publishing

Crossing the Finish Line: New Books from SJSU MFA Faculty, Steinbeck Fellows, and Students

Rita Cameron, Carmen Kennedy, Amanda Mei Kim and J. Michael Martinez, moderated by Keenan Norris

What does it take to get beyond outlines and sh*tty first drafts to a finished manuscript? And, from there, how do you make it across the finish line to publication? Five San José State University faculty members, students, and Steinbeck Fellows with new or forthcoming books will retrace their own publication journeys and inspire you to chase your second (or third) wind in a session that offers equal parts practical advice and writerly motivation.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Sponsored by the Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University

• Romance

YA: Falling for Love

Elise Bryant, Lio Min, Alisha Rai, and Amy Spalding, moderated by Tiffany Golden

Wrap up your book festival day with this celebration of young love, offering the perfect swirl of coming-of-age sweetness and teenage awkwardness with a guaranteed happily-ever-after for all. Get ready to swoon! Ages 12+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

With the support of SACHI

• Comics & Graphics
• International
• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers

Noir at the Bar

Rina Ayuyang, Margot Douaihy, Mary Robinette Kowal, T. Jefferson Parker, Kwei Quartey, Marcie R. Rendon, emceed by Randal Brandt

The sun might not set until after 8 pm this time of year, but a stellar lineup of mystery and thriller writers will cast some shadowy thrills on your Saturday evening—and maybe a dirty martini will help set the mood, too. 21+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books

Sponsored by Mystery Writers of America and the NorCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America with support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• ASL Interpreted programming
• Culture
• Ticketed

An Evening with Joan Baez: Trailblazing Musician, Artist, and Activist

Joan Baez, interviewed by Greg Sarris

Renowned for her impressive natural instrument with a three-octave range and rapid vibrato; her accomplished interpretive skills, which allowed her to expand the emotional depth and sophistication of a song, making it uniquely her own; and her focus on social justice issues and community-building, Joan Baez is a household name and a hero to millions. You may not know that she is also an accomplished painter and has exhibited her artwork in galleries and museums around the world. Her new collection shows another side of her artistry: lovingly loose and charming sketches on themes she has always found important, such as politics, relationships, women, and family. Baez will be joined on stage by Greg Sarris, who is in his fifteenth consecutive elected term as the Tribal Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.Come sit in on their conversation and celebrate Baez’s celebrated career while also glimpsing a whimsical new side of this living legend. Click here to read more and get tickets.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue. Please note: Joan Baez will be happy to sign copies of "Am I Pretty When I Fly?" for one hour after the conclusion of the program. Although Joan will be happy to see long-time fans in the audience, she's unfortunately not able to sign albums or other merchandise after the event. Thank you for understanding!

Presented by Visit Berkeley.

• Outdoor

Wake up with a FLASH! And LAUGHS!

Jane Ciabattari, Jenny Bitner, Heather Bourbeau, Jill Bronfman, Mark Ciabattari , Thaisa Frank, Molly Giles, Thomas Hobohm, Elizabeth Stix, Olga Zilberbourg, and other Bay Area maestros of flash fiction

(NOTE: First, some unfortunate news: Eboni K. Williams has had to cancel her appearance, previously scheduled for this program slot. Her book will still be on sale adjacent to the Chronicle Stage.) Here’s a great way to start your day! Enjoy a story for as long as it takes to finish your cup of morning coffee. What’s flash fiction? Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, in the park

• Environment/Nature
• History & Biography

Places Worth Fighting For: Preserving Public Lands

Jerry Emory, Dean King, and McKenzie Long, moderated by Toby McLeod

Place is political, especially when it comes to defining and defending public lands. Come hear three fascinating stories of places worth fighting for—and the people committed to preserving them. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Current Affairs

Reforming Cop Culture: In Oakland and Nationwide

Darwin BondGraham, Neil Gross, Tongo Eisen-Martin, and Ali Winston, moderated by Laura Wenus

From the Panthers to the Riders, Oakland is ground zero for legitimately questioning the very fabric of cop culture. In this session, investigative duo Darwin BondGraham and Ali Winston, San Francisco Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin, and Colby College sociology professor Neil Gross will present perspectives from individuals who have thoroughly reported on, studied, and worked with populations affected by cop culture, and have ideas about how to enact reform. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Environment/Nature
• Memoir

Finding Nature, Saving Time

Maddalena Bearzi and Jenny Odell, moderated by Alexis Madrigal

Time stretches out in front of us, but there is never enough of it and you simply cannot borrow, buy, or make more. Join Jenny Odell and Maddalena Bearzi in conversation with Alexis Madrigal on the nature of time and how we measure it. This session will elicit both deep noticing and profound reflection.. If you’re ready for a more humane, responsive way of living, find the time to join us for this session. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books, Inc., at the venue

• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers
• Native American

The Art of Suspense

Katy Hays, Marcie R. Rendon, and Brendan Slocumb, moderated by Laurie R. King

Not even the rarified realms of art are safe in the imaginations of these writers, where intrigue lurks even in the concert hall or the museum. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Current Affairs
• Technology/Media

Chokepoint Capitalism

Cory Doctorow interviewed by Wendy Liu

Renowned sci-fi author and activist Cory Doctorow has come to the festival to tell a story that we sure wish was science fiction or fantasy. Do you know what the royalties are for the authors with books at this festival, or how much do musicians get paid every time you play their songs on Spotify? How exactly are those few dollars and pennies calculated? (The Beatles had to split a penny four ways for each song). How exactly does the opaque film and TV industry work? Prepare to be fascinated, informed, shocked, and activated by this discussion around one of the most important books of the decade, “Chokepoint Capitalism.” Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• International
• Literary

We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies: In Exile from Tibet

Tsering Yangzom Lama, interviewed by Cherilyn Parsons

Very few novels by Tibetans have been translated into English and published in the United States. So we’re fortunate that award-winning writer Tsering Yangzom Lama, who lives in Canada, is joining us to discuss her gorgeous, fascinating debut novel, "We Measure the Earth with our Bodies". Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

With the support of the Consulate General of Canada San Francisco/Silicon Valley

• Environment/Nature
• Memoir

Memoir: The Meaning of Home

Vanessa A. Bee, Camille Dungy, and Kathryn Savage, moderated by Kristin Keane

In this memoir session, thoughtful considerations of home blend the authors' intimate perspectives with broader questions of racial and economic injustice, ecological harm, housing insecurity, and other systemic crises. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Literary
• Writing & Publishing

Craft Chats: Writing Literary Humor

Kathryn Ma, Cecilia Rabess, and Erik Tarloff, moderated by Michael Shapiro

They say it's easier to make people cry than to make them laugh—in this session, we'll put that theory to the test with three authors who effectively deploy humor in their recent and forthcoming novels. In this craft-focused session, we'll engage deeply with each author's writing, first doing a close reading of specific passages that exemplify their brand of humor and then learning more about how that comedic sensibility informs the totality of the work. Given how witty these three authors are on the page, we can't wait to hear their repartee in person! Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Outdoor
• Women/Gender

Cinnamongirl: Write Your Story

A cohort of girls spent the year honing their voices and their visions, with encouragement and instruction from a wonderful faculty of women authors of color, and now they are ready to present their work and read at the Bay Area Book Festival. Cinnamongirl mentors and teaching artists will share the stage with these new rising literary stars as they share stories, insights, and nuggets of inspiration. Ages 10+. Click here to read more.

• History & Biography
• Outdoor

A(lexandra) P(etri’s) US History

Alexandra Petri, interviewed by Joe Garofoli

Alexandra Petri is no stranger to making history—she became the youngest-ever columnist for the Washington Post. Now she casts her withering glance backward, compiling "historical fan fiction" that includes essential chronicles such as John and Abigail Adams's experiments in sexting. If you're a student of history, you emphatically won't want to use Petri's book as a primary source—but this uproarious conversation with Alexandra Petri will give you a brand-new way to look (and laugh) at our nation's complicated past. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, in the park

• Technology/Media

How to Create Real Change: David Fenton with The Activist’s Media Handbook

David Fenton, interviewed by Monika Bauerlein

How can activists create social change today? For starters, they need to be really good storytellers. David Fenton, one of the most effective progressive communicators of the past fifty years, has penned a remarkable book—part rollercoaster memoir, part guidebook—that distills lessons from his experience shaping some of history’s most impactful social movements. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Memoir

Memoir: In Search of Our Fathers

Leslie Absher, Eric Newton, and Leta Seletzky, moderated by Sylvia Brownrigg

We often find ourselves looking back on our parents’ lives to understand our own place in the world. Join the acclaimed Sylvia Brownrigg as she guides authors Leslie Absher, Leta Seletzky, and Eric Newton through this excavation into how the lives of our fathers may offer insight into our own; it’s really only once the digging starts that the real questions come to the surface.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Literary
• Women/Gender

Fiction: Mothers & Daughters

Ramona Ausubel, Mary Otis, and Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, moderated by Jasmin Darznik

Relationships between mothers and daughters can be fraught or fruitful—especially for fiction writers. Bring your mom, or your daughter—you might find common ground through some fabulous new fiction in this session. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

With the support of California College of the Arts MFA Writing program

• Literary
• Native American

Fiction: Encounters with Myths and Spirits

K-Ming Chang, Kali Fajardo-Anstine, and Brandon Hobson, moderated by Rita Chang-Eppig

At times in these accomplished writers' fiction, the boundaries between the spirit world and the "real world" grow porous or indiscernible, in ways that expand realities and excite readers' imaginations. Woven throughout all of these masterful works of fiction is a reverence for the resonant power of ancient and mysterious tales and spirits. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books, Inc., at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Memoir
• Women/Gender

Reckoning: Falling, Femicide, and Dreaming the New World: A Conversation with Award-Winning Playwright and Activist V (formerly Eve Ensler)

V, interviewed by Deirdre English

Perhaps you're most familiar with V as the Tony Award-winning playwright (often under her former name Eve Ensler) of groundbreaking works. Or maybe you've been inspired by V's global activist movement, launched with the very first "V Day" on February 14, 1998, that creates safe, powerful spaces for survivors and others to talk openly about violence against women and girls. These intersections of art and activism are the places V explores most movingly in her new memoir. Come for a conversation as wide-ranging and multifaceted as the book itself, which incorporates photographs, poetry, letters, and journals, as well as speeches and opinion pieces. Jane Fonda has written that "No reader will be left unshaken and uninspired" by V's new book—the same might be said of this singularly powerful event. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• Environment/Nature
• International
• Literary

Even If Everything Ends: A Searing, Beautiful Novel on Life, Loss, and Today’s Climate Moment

Jens Liljestrand interviewed by John Freeman

Be one of the first readers in the U.S. to meet the author of a novel that’s sweeping the globe: Jens Liljestrand with his debut "Even If Everything Ends", one the fiercest and most profoundly human of the climate novels we’ve ever read. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

Sponsored by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation

• Comics & Graphics
• International
• Literary

At Play on the Page

Mark Ciabattari, Katie Hafner, and Peter Hoey, moderated by Heather Scott Partington

All the creators in this session depict a world that is just slightly off-kilter from reality. Join three inventive creators for an intellectually playful conversation about approaching the craft of fiction seriously—but with whimsy to spare. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers

YA: Thriller Superstars

Angeline Boulley, Nick Brooks and Marie Lu, moderated by Cinnamongirl Clover and Cinnamongirl Kamryn

This gathering of YA authors is nothing less than an event. If you're already looking ahead to summer (reading), don’t miss this chance to hear from some of YA's hottest superstars and stock up on their scorching new thrillers. Ages 14+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Native American
• Outdoor

Native Voices: Essayists from the 2023 Graton Student Writing Program

Emceed by Greg Sarris

The Graton Writing Project is a series of writing workshops open to middle- and high-school Native students from Sonoma, California, that culminates in a published youth anthology. This year, students were asked to write on the theme of imagining a hopeful vision of the future, led by today's tribal youth. Come hear the students read powerful, sometimes surprising excerpts from their pieces and share their insights. Ages. 12+. Click here to read more.

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Outdoor

Bay Curious

Olivia Allen-Price, interviewed by Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight, introduced by Emilio Garcia-Ruiz

From Grace Cathedral to the Marin Headlands, why are there so many labyrinths in the Bay Area? Why did the state capitol almost move to Berkeley? Should Monterey Jack cheese really be called Pacifica Jack? These are just a few of the wild, wonderful, and endlessly fascinating questions Olivia Allen-Price and the team at KQED's Bay Curious podcast set out to answer each week. In this sure-to-be-lively session, Allen-Price will chat with two fellow journalists whose curiosity about and love for the Bay Area rivals Allen-Price's own: Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight of the San Francisco Chronicle's Total SF podcast. Bring your burning questions, or the Bay Area secrets you've been dying to share! Click to read more.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, in the park

• Memoir

Bridging the Distance: Nicole Chung and A Living Remedy

Nicole Chung, interviewed by Brooke Warner

Nicole Chung follows up her exquisite debut with a wrenching new memoir, written in the wake of her mother's death from cancer in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Readers will find both sorrow and solace in her open-hearted new book. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

Sponsored by She Writes Press

• Literary
• Poetry
• Women/Gender

Poetry and Fiction: The Artist’s Influence

Selby Wynn Schwartz and Brenda Shaughnessy, moderated by Susan Griffin

The first time most American readers heard Selby Schwartz's name was when her debut novel was nominated for the 2022 Booker Prize. Schwartz's paean to early twentieth-century feminist creatives and their muse, Sappho, has received global accolades from the Booker judges and beyond. The ways in which Schwartz's creative, unconventional feminist creatives both supported and inspired one another's art find echoes in Brenda Shaughnessy's latest collection. Here, the award-winning poet draws out her own sources of inspiration, both personal and intellectual, as she composes tercets in honor of the friends, sisters, mentors, artists, and others who have sustained her and her work. Join these two phenomenally gifted writers for a conversation across time and genre. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Race
• Wellness, Psychology & Spirituality

Tricia Hersey: Rest Is Resistance

Tricia Hersey interviewed by Ashara Ekundayo

In the instant New York Times bestseller “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto,” Tricia Hersey, aka The Nap Bishop, shows us how to connect to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• History & Biography
• Race

An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom: Master Slave Husband Wife

Ilyon Woo, interviewed by Dorothy Lazard

Scholars of American history have uncovered and recounted countless remarkable stories of the courage and resourcefulness of enslaved and formerly enslaved people. But it's no exaggeration to say that the one Ilyon Woo relates in her new book is, as Imani Perry writes, "one of the most important stories of American slavery and freedom." Join accomplished researcher and brilliant storyteller Ilyon Woo for an unforgettable journey through, as Marlon James calls it, one of "the truly great American stories."

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Sponsored by the Stephen M. Silberstein Foundation

• History & Biography
• Memoir
• Race

Echoes of Exclusion

Ava Chin, Fae Myenne Ng, and Paisley Rekdal, moderated by Kathryn Ma

The Chinese exclusion era started in 1882 and ended (at least on paper) some sixty years later, but, as the authors in this session profoundly reveal, its echoes still reverberate from coast to coast. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books, Inc., at the venue

• Horror
• International
• Native American

Horror: History That Goes Bump in the Night

Jessica Johns, Francesca Maria, and Nick Medina, moderated by Ben Monroe

History—both personal and otherwise—comes back to haunt the living in these chilling tales of psychological horror. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Marcus Books, at the venue

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Consulate General of Canada San Francisco/Silicon Valley

YA: What’s Your Inspiration?

Jennieke Cohen, Francesca Flores, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, moderated by Cinnamongirl Kamiyah and Cinnamongirl Lea

What do a fairy tale, a Broadway musical, and a classic twentieth-century social realist novel have in common? They all served as inspiration for the latest works by the talented authors featured in this session, who took those classic works and ran with them, creating new, exciting, and entirely original novels that truly stand on their own. Ages 12+. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• Environment/Nature
• Literary
• Race
• Science Fiction & Fantasy

Parable of the Sower Turns 30

Ashia Ajani, Aya de Leon, and Camille Dungy, moderated by Devin T. Murphy

2023 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Octavia Butler's novel, which has only grown more relevant over the past three decades. Two poets and a novelist will discuss the power of Octavia Butler’s prophetic parables, placing their own writing in her lineage connecting climate justice and racial justice. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• Literary
• Outdoor
• Writing & Publishing

LitCamp Presents: Unreliable Narrator

Hosted by Keli Dailey and Janis Cooke Newman

Fifteen writers read no-more-than-3-minute pieces written especially for the festival on our theme...Unreliable Narrator: Stories about con artists, liars, and people we just don't trust. Hosted by LitCamp founder Janis Cooke Newman and storyteller and performer Keli Dailey. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Pegasus Books, in the park

In partnership with LitCamp

• Native American
• Outdoor

What’s New in Native American Literature for Kids

Angeline Boulley, Alexis Bunten, Brandon Hobson, Andrea L. Rogers, and Brian Young, moderated by Melissa Stoner

The publishing industry is finally starting to catch up to the dazzling talents of Native American creators of books for children. In this session, we'll hear from six award-winning authors writing picture books, middle-grade novels, and YA fiction. They'll discuss their own journeys toward publication, the state of publishing for Native American creators, and the audiences they hope to reach with their work. All ages. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Folio Books, in the park

With support from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

• Environment/Nature
• Poetry
• Race

Poetry at the End of the World

Anthony Cody, CJ Evans, John Freeman and Tess Taylor, moderated by Sam Sax

With a power-packed panel of poets, explore themes of apocalypse, survival, and hope—because celebrating in the face of the end is a testament to the human spirit, an act of defiance against despair, a tribute to life, and the poetic thing to do. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

• International
• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers

Mysteries and Thrillers: Dangerous Destinations

Margot Douaihy, Catriona McPherson, T. Jefferson Parker, and Kwei Quartey, moderated by Laurie R. King

Get ready to pack your bags—but keep an eye on your passport, your valuables, and your own neck because the global destinations depicted in these mysteries and thrillers are positively perilous! Whether you're headed out on your own global adventures this summer or just plan to do some armchair traveling, these talented novelists are here to wish you bon voyage . . . and to advise you to watch your back. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

Sponsored by Mystery Writers of America and the NorCal chapter of Mystery Writers of America

• Memoir

Unraveling: Peggy Orenstein Spins a Yarn about Yarn… and Life

Peggy Orenstein, interviewed by Sylvia Brownrigg

Sourdough? Puppies? What were your survival strategies as the pandemic unraveled your life? Journalist Peggy Orenstein, revered for her provocative writing about the cultural pressures on young people, embarked on a wild and woolley (literally) project. A lifelong knitter, she set out to make her own sweater from scratch—starting with shearing the sheep. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Books, Inc., at the venue

• Mystery, Crime & Thrillers
• Romance

Love on the Run

Marie Lu in conversation with Alisha Rai

Falling in love is always a rush—even more so when if you and your sexy sidekick are being chased by mobsters . . . or chasing them down yourselves. Talented authors Marie Lu and Alisha Rai really ramp up the adrenaline and the attraction—one way or another, this session will have your heart racing! Click here to read more!

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal

With the support of SACHI

• Comics & Graphics
• Memoir

Coming of Age in Words and Pictures

Jarrett Krosoczka, Patrick Ness, and Victoria Ying moderated by Elaine Tai

The transition from childhood to adolescence and beyond is a perennial theme in fiction—and for good reason. How many of us still have cringe-worthy moments from our teenaged years seared as indelible images in our brains? Here, three creators take their coming-of-age tales one step further—providing readers with images to make their stories of transition, maturation, and self-discovery that much more vivid. Click here to read more.

Book signing information: Sausalito Books by the Bay, at the venue

• ASL Interpreted programming
• Memoir

Alice Wong: An Activist’s Life

Alice Wong, interviewed by Yomi Sachiko Wrong

When Alice Wong, on the verge of and excited about the publication and promotion of her memoir, suffered a major medical crisis last year, she was disappointed about the drastic change in plans . . . but then set about advocating for a complete overhaul of the personal care infrastructure on which she and approximately 14 million other Americans depend. Transforming her personal circumstances into a force for systemic change is nothing new for Wong, who has been at the forefront of the disability justice movement for years. Her multimedia volume traces her identity as the child of immigrants from Hong Kong and as a person living with progressive muscular dystrophy—through essays, fiction, and artwork she creates an entirely original volume that lies at the intersections of memoir and manifesto, balancing justifiable rage with wry humor.

Book signing information: Bookshop West Portal, at the venue

• ASL Interpreted programming
• Race
• Ticketed

Do the Work! How You Can Take Action Against Racism

W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz

Close out this year’s festival with a rousing and sure-to-be-hilarious conversation between comedian W. Kamau Bell (creator and host of CNN’s United Shades of America and author of "The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6′ 4″, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian") and activist Kate Schatz (Rad Women series), who have together written a book unique in the history of civilization: an intentionally funny, illustrated “guide” about a very serious topic – racism. "Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book", with a title that itself nods to “woke” injunctions to the sadly “unwoke,” is filled with activities such as color-by-number redlining maps, games to “spot the racist” in real ads, and quizzes to see if you could pass the tests that Black residents needed to ace in order to be able to vote. The book isn’t “politically correct,” to say the least, but it’s the perfect tool to guide you safely (humor helps!) into the minefield that is conversations about racism. Read more here and get tickets.

Book signing information: Green Apple Books, at the venue

Sponsored by Visit Berkeley.